"It’s unfortunate that [Abbott] is no longer a part of the family,” says Williams.
HBO/"Girls"
In April, "Girls" actor Christopher Abbott — who plays Marnie's boyfriend Charlie on the hit HBO show — abruptly announced he was leaving the series.

"They've just started work on Season three, and Chris is at odds with Lena," a source told the New York Post at the time. "He didn't like the direction things are going in."

The end of season two left Abbott's character rekindling his romance with Allison Williams' Marnie after an on-again-off-again relationship since the series debuted.

Williams, talking for the first time about her on-screen love's departure, tells TV line Abbott leaving has "a huge effect on our show and [on the character of] Marnie specifically."

"It's unfortunate that [Abbott] is no longer a part of the family," adds the 25-year-old actress.

But she, along with the rest of Lena Dunham's "Girls" crew, have remained positive.

Season 3 will now find Marnie "piecing herself back together.”
HBO/"Girls"
"The minute I heard the news, there wasn't a single doubt in my mind that [the show's writing staff] would come up with great stuff for Marnie to be doing," adds Williams. "And what we've done so far and what we're continuing to do is so excellent."

Williams adds that had Abbott stayed for season three, she suspects Marnie's story arc "would have spanned from the couple's reunification to the inevitable dissolution of their relationship."

Now, though, "it's almost as if we skipped her third season and have gone on to single Marnie," continued Williams. The split "means that Marnie is now piecing herself back together."